An entire CD of music commissioned and dedicated to a hotel in Harads, Sweden? This intriguing notion brought about Ensemble Evolution’s CD Sounds from the Treetops. Ensemble Evolution is an international percussion-based ensemble, whose founding/core members—Maria Finkelmeier, Charles Martin, and Jacob Remington—came together in 2010 in northern Sweden in collaboration with their mentor Anders Åstrand in order to explore new music, composition, and improvisation. Their work draws on contemporary tonal music and improvisation (drawing heavily on pop and jazz), new media, and music technology. I call the group “modular,” because they seem to collaborate in various ensemble sizes, hence the Kickstarter-backed percussion duo CD Compose Perform Inspire. It appears that the ensemble grew out of the duo project, but it is unclear. One thing is clear: combined with youthful enthusiasm and strong musicianship, they have a strong entrepreneurial spirit and slick marketing. It didn’t surprise me one bit to learn that Finkelmeier was involved with the Entrepreneurial Musicianship Department at the New England Conservatory. Sounds from the Treetops features Finkelmeier, Martin, and Remington, with clarinetist Angela Shanker and soprano Anna Larson. The works were all inspired by and premiered at the Treehotel (www.treehotel.se), which consists of six architecturally unique tree houses. Composed entirely by members of Ensemble Evolution, the music draws heavily on minimalism and improvisation. Most of the works feature mallet instruments (mostly marimba) and wooden sounds. Ambient recordings and wooden soundscapes feature prominently in “The Bird’s Nest” by Jacob Remington and “Planks for the Tree Sauna” by Charles Martin, which is basically “Music for Pieces of Wood” with some low clarinet chirping by Shanker. “Mirror Cube,” by Martin, who specializes in computer music, is a soaring minimal electronic trip—a melding of Brian Eno and John Adams, if they wrote music for vibes and glockenspiel. Compose Perform Inspire is a collection of mostly tonal mallet-oriented percussion duos. The performing is top notch throughout. David Skidmore’s “Break,” a duet for two drumsets, is by far the most unique departure: a constant unfolding and trading of complex and quirky drumset grooves. Jacob Remington’s “Tango Passacaglia” is clearly the heart of the project: Conservative and catchy, the marimba duo is a tonal romp combining rhythmic elements of the Tango and a modern take on Passacaglia. I recently heard an interview with the über-pop-god Sting, who said, “I’m constantly trying to inject surprise into my music… It is the essence of music.” Surprise and unpredictability are vital components of any music. Unfortunately, those elements are a bit lacking here, but for the few exceptions on both CDs that I pointed out above. It is not at all my aim to disparage the hard work, time, and energy put forward in this effort. The performers are talented craftspeople with success in bringing projects to fruition. But, for my musical experience, unless a work taps into deeper elements of surprise and unpredictability, the result is less satisfying.